Methods and compositions comprising steroid honey bee feeding inhibitors

Abstract

Applicants have discovered novel steroid feeding inhibitors for Apis sp. that can be used in connection with traditional insecticide, pesticide, fungicide or other pest management protocols. The rapid decline of Apis sp. is devastating to the many crops which rely upon the bees, particularly honey bees (Apis melliofera) for pollination. Further it has been postulated that colony collapse disorder, may be the result of unintended ingestion by honey bees of insecticide, pesticide, fungicide compositions applied to nearby feeding sources for the bees. Thus, honey bee feeding inhibitors can be used in a pest management system to prevent unintended consequences to honey bees.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of provisional application Ser. No. 62 / 151,474, filed Apr. 23, 2015, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to the use of novel honey bee feeding inhibitors to prevent honey bees from foraging on crops treated with an insecticide, fungicide, pesticide or other pest control system comprising the same. The feeding inhibitor keeps the bees off flowers and plants that were recently sprayed with the same and prevents the pest control system from adversely affecting honey bee colonies. Compositions including a pesticide, fungicide or insecticide with the feeding inhibitor of the invention are also disclosed as well as the use of the same in managing crop production and honey bee health.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Bees play a vital role in the reproduction of plants with entomophilous pollination. The Food and A...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is about finding new ways to stop honey bees from eating crops that have been sprayed with insecticides or herbicides. This helps keep the bees away from those plants and helps protect honey bee colonies and other valuable pollinating insects from harm. This invention allows farmers to use more insecticides with fewer risks to bees, which helps maintain the health of the colonies and ensures continued pollination of valuable crops.

Problems solved by technology

Indeed it is difficult to overstate the role of bees in the commercial production of food.

Collapsing colonies typically do not have enough bees to maintain colony brood and have workers that consist of younger adult bees; the progression of symptoms may be rapid or slow (up to two years).

The reasons for increasing colony collapse are complex and appear to be the result of multiple factors.

Research suggests that honey bee diets, parasites, diseases and multiple pesticides interact to have stronger negative effects on managed honey bee colonies, while nutritional limitation and exposure to sublethal doses of pesticides, in particular, may alter susceptibility to or the severity of bee parasites and pathogens.

At present there are not any known treatments or specific solutions for the prevention and treatment of Colony Collapse Disorder, nor methods, techniques or procedures which the beekeeper can put in place with a reasonable expectation of success to protect his hives from the same.

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